Shiv Sainiks home bound journey from Ayodhya rescheduled

In a sudden change of plan, Shiv Saina activists who had come by two special trains to Ayodhya for events organised by the party, are returning on Saturday night after one train was rescheduled, officials said.

The train supposed to go on Sunday night was rescheduled for Saturday night by the Central Railways, as per request made by "people who booked the train".

Station superintendent of Ayodhya Mahendra Nath Mishra confirmed the change in the train timings. The second train which ferried Shiv Sainiks from Maharashtra, ahead of its party chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya, will however leave as per schedule on Sunday at 6 p.m.

While no official statement has been made for the sudden change in the train timings, sources say a miffed Thackeray asked Shiv Sainiks to "pack bags and go back" after "poor arrangements" by some of his party cadres at the Laxma Qila grounds event.

He has also reportedly asked his party to "clear out from Ayodhya at the earliest".

The state government has accorded a 'state guest' status to the Shiv Sena supremo and the district magistrate of Ayodhya Anil Kumar Pathak went and presented him a bouquet on behalf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath late night.

Meanwhile heavy security deployment has been made in the temple town ahead of the Sunday 'dharma Sabha' of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in which Hindu seers will put their heads together to chalk out a strategy to pressure the government to pave the way for an early construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

--IANS

md/prs